4 Cheese Mac & Cheese

This dish serves about 10 - 12 people easily and can be scaled up if need be. 

Ingredients: 
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Flour
1 1/2 Cups Milk divided
1 Block (16 oz) Vermont Yellow Cheddar Cheese (grated)
1 Block (12 oz) Smoked Gouda Cheese (grated)
1/2 Block (8 oz) Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese (grated)
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese (grated)

2 lbs elbow macaroni
1 Tbsp Sea salt*

Olive Oil (spray)*
1/8 Cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/8 Cup Seasoned Whole Wheat breadcrumbs
Preparation: 
Heat a 2 quart (preferably nonstick) saucepan under low heat to melt butter. Once melted, add in flour and mix together until well incorporated. Mix in 1/2 cup of milk and raise heat until bubbles form along the edges. Lower heat again and start mixing in all of the cheese slowly allowing it to melt.  As more cheese is added, add more milk until all of it is incorporated. When ready, the cheese sauce will be liquid and flow and should not stick to the spoon. If it does, add additional milk for best texture. 

In another saucepan boil about 1 1/2 quarts of water with sea salt.  Once fully boiling, add in the pasta until fully cooked. Lightly spray casserole or deep side baking dish, strain and pour pasta into dish. Spray lightly with olive oil then cover with Parmesan cheese. Pour cheese sauce mixture over and mix well to ensure its thoroughly incorporated. Cover with panko and whole wheat breadcrumbs. 

Place in Oven at 475 degrees for about 10 - 15 minutes or 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes until cheese starts bubbling around the edges. To finish, place in the broiler on high for about 1 - 2 minutes until the breadcrumbs toast. 

Serving: 
This serves between 10 and 12 people and the recommended serving is with additional breadcrumb topping. 

Eggplant Parmesan Sticks

This is a cross between french fries, nachos and eggplant parm. 

Ingredients:

1 Eggplant

16 oz Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)

1 Cup of garlic seasoned breadcrumbs

1 Cup of panko breadcrumbs

1 Cup of seasoned Whole Wheat breadcrumbs

1 Pint container of Eggbeaters

Safeflower Oil* - in bottle with pour spout

Olive Oil* - in spray (e.g. Misto)
Joe's Homemade Pasta Sauce

Preparation:

Peel eggplant and slice into rounds approximately 1/4 to 3/8" thick. Slice rounds into strips 1/4 - 3/8" thick (similar to french fries). 

In a shallow dish mix together 1/2 cup of each of the breadcrumb mixes (will cover about half of the eggplant sticks before needing to add the remainder).  In another shallow dish mix together the entire container of Eggbeaters and about 1/4 cup of water. Dip each of the sticks in the egg mixture and then cover in breadcrumbs thoroughly. 

Heat the broiler to a "high" setting, cover a stoneware (cooks faster) or metal baking sheet with a light drizzle of safeflower oil and lay down a single layer of the breaded eggplant. Spray lightly with olive oil and place in broiler checking every few minutes until the breadcrumbs crisp and turn a golden brown.  Turn sticks to ensure even cooking and remove once all sides have browned. 

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum and spray with oil. Pile eggplant sticks on the baking sheet, splash with pasta sauce and cover with shredded cheese. Bake in oven at 400 degrees until cheese melts. 

Serving:
This serves about 4 and can be served with extra sauce. 

Lamb and Garlic Couscous

Lamb and Garlic Couscous

This is a meld of Middle Eastern flavors

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup of Pine Nuts
1 Tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/3 Cup of couscous

1 Tbsp of butter1 1/2 Cups of Water

Generous amount of Kosher salt

Bone in Lamb Chops (I used a 3 pack from Shoprite for 1 serving)

* Cumin

* Corriander

* Rosemary

* Kosher Salt
Preparation:
In a stainless 2qt saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil.  In small skillet add oil, garlic powder,  and pine nuts over low heat. When garlic and nuts begin to brown, remove from heat and set aside. Once water has come to a boil add couscous, butter and cover (remaining on high heat). 

Use a whisk to fluff the couscous and cook uncovered until all liquid is gone. At this point, remove from heat and set aside covered. (Additionally, in lieu of this variant, my other couscous recipe can be used: http://raygasnick.blogspot.com/2012/05/pine-nut-and-garlic-couscous.html)

Season the lamb with Kosher salt, crushed rosemary, and generous amount of cumin and corriander. Place on grill or griddle pan on medium heat until it begins to brown. For criss cross grill marks, rotate 90 degrees after about 4 or 5 minutes. Flip lamb chops over and cook for additional 5 minutes before finishing in foil.  Remove the lamb from direct heat and place inside aluminum foil creating a tight wrapper for the chops.  After 10 minutes (or until desired done-ness) remove from heat and let rest. 

Serving: 

Layer couscous on a plate and then place lamb chops atop. This sits well with garlic bread ( ) and is done in about 30 minutes. 

Stuffed Cabbages in the Slow Cooker

This is a variation of the traditional stuffed cabbages (gulumpkies) that increases the health value and can be done in a relatively quick amount of time in a crock pot. 

Ingredients: 
1 Medium/Large Cabbage
3 Cans of Tomato Soup
1/2 lb Ground Pork 
112 grams of Soy Crumbles
1 cup of brown rice
Garlic Powder*
Onion Powder or Flakes*
Kosher Salt* 
Black Pepper* 

Preparation:
Place cabbage in a large pot and fill with water. Bring to a boil covered for about 5 - 7 minutes. In a bowl mix together pork, soy crumbles, rice and seasonings. Mix through until well incorporated. 

Remove core from cabbage and start peeling leaves off. Using a paring knife, remove the spine of the leaf and place an elongated handful of the meat mixture inside the leaf.  Roll by folding the sides over and rolling up into a cylindrical package. 

Layer in the crockpot side by side and on top if need be. Cover with 3 cans of soup and 2 cans of water. 

Cook for 4 hours on high or 7 hours on low. 

Nutrition Info: 
Typical serving is about 3 and this scores about 8 Weight Watchers points plus points. 

Homemade Lemon or Orange Ice

This is a recipe that can be modified to handle nearly any citrus fruit but I have found works best with orange or lemon. 


Ingredients: 
6 Lemons or 6 Naval Oranges
1 Cup of Sugar 
1 Cup of Water
2 tbsp zest 


Preparation: 
Freeze bowl for ice cream maker according to directions for use in advance. In a 2 qt saucepan mix sugar and water and boil to create a simple syrup. When this has come to a boil, remove from heat and add zest. Allow to steep for 15 - 20 minutes. 


Juice the lemons or the oranges into a seal-able container and place in refrigerator overnight. Pour syrup and zest mixture into another seal-able container and place in refrigerator overnight. 


Mix together syrup and juice in ice cream maker scraping sides periodically until ice crystals form. Increase speed near the end once the majority of the mixture has frozen to keep air in the mix. 


Place in a seal-able container in the freezer, should last about 1 - 2 weeks (unless its eaten quicker)

Lasagna In a Mug

This is a take on lasagna whereby you can speed up the cooking time and individualize the contents by cooking individual sized portions in a mug.  I recommend using one of the corningware vented top soup mugs as they are a good size and have a fair capacity to fill. http://www.shopworldkitchen.com/corningware/french-white-pop-ins-mug-1035985

Ingredients: 
4 rounds (Hand rolled Pasta dough cut using cookie cutter into 3" rounds)
1 servings of Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
1.5 servings (46 grams) Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese shredded
1 Cup of Pasta Sauce (http://raygasnick.blogspot.com/2012/06/joes-homemade-pasta-sauce.html) 
1/2 serving (14 grams) Parmesan Cheese shredded

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place a heat capacitor (such as a stoneware pan or pizza stone) on the low shelf. In mug, place 1 ladle worth of sauce and top with first round. Layer with 1 serving (28 grams) of Mozzarella cheese, top with next round. Place 1/2 ladle of sauce, cover with ricotta cheese and layer next round. Place another 1/2 ladle of sauce and cover with remaining mozzarella cheese. Put final round on top, layer remaining sauce and Parmesan cheese. 

Bake in oven for 15 - 25 minutes until sauce begins to bubble around the edges. 

Serving:
Serve in bowl (recommended to place it on a plate as it WILL be hot.) 

Nutrition Information:
This is a quick, easy and relatively healthy meal. This is 8 Weight Watchers points plus points. 

Recommended Additions:
1. More Layers - this will increase the cheesiness, but it is recommended to alternate mozzarella and ricotta cheeses as when they melt, there will be clear texture differences between layers. 
2. Meat - There are two options on this one: 
    * Ground Beef or Pork directly, 1/4 lb total meat sauteed in some light olive oil lightly salted and peppered
    * 80/20 Beef or Pork: 1/8 lb + 28 grams of soy crumbles to increase the quantity but keep it healthy (adds about 2 - 3 more WW Pts + )
3. Vegetables - Layer some squash or zucchini in between cheese layers or meat layers 

Substitution: 
Substitute tomato sauce with Parmesan cream sauce, substitute beef / pork with chicken and consider adding a layer of spinach in lieu of extra cheese. **** Flavorful, not very healthy ****

Rolling Pasta Dough by hand

I've put up a few recipes that involve hand rolled pasta, so here's some recipes and technique on how to get a good hand made pasta dough. This recipe makes user of a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and pasta roller attachment. (hand cranking this will work but is extremely difficult without a 3rd hand) 


Ingredients: 
2 cups of all purpose white flour
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1/4 Cup water
1 cup of fresh baby spinach (optional) 


Preparation:
In a stand mixer (with dough hook) mix all ingredients together.  Use a flexible spatula to incorporate extra flour.  Dough should stick to the hook when it has mixed well and not be sticky to the touch (if it is, add additional bench flour until it becomes less tacky). 


If you are making a spinach pasta, chop spinach finely and mix in with dough ball. Cut into smaller balls, wrap dough in plastic wrap tightly and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour.  


Remove from refrigerator and hand flatten.  Set mixer on speed 2 and keep pasta sheet roller on setting 1 (thickest).  Pass dough through the rollers adding flour as needed. Once dough has passed through, fold the end that came out first over and place back through the rollers FOLD first.  **(It is important to place it back in fold first so that the gluten in the dough gets stretched in the same direction). Keep doing this until the dough expands to the width of the roller. After it has expanded to that width, run through without folding over 2 or 3 more times before changing the roller setting. 

Change the roller from 1 to 2 and pass through 3 or 4 times until dough is smooth (adding flour as needed so that it does not stick to the rollers).  Repeat process changing roller from 2 to 3 and 3 to 4. 


Fettuccine:  Roll to #4 thickness before using fettuccine cutter roller
Spaghetti:  Roll to #3 thickness before using spaghetti cutter roller
Lasagna Noodles or Ravioli Noodles: Roll to #5 thickness


After rolling, hang over a pasta drying rack (a simple wooden dowel based one will do) until dough begins to dry out. 


***** There is no salt in this recipe ******
When cooking this pasta, be sure to adequately salt the water using kosher or sea salt until it has the taste of the ocean. 


Nutrition Info: 
The total of all ingredients yields a fair amount of pasta at the equivalent of 24 Weight Watchers points plus points. To figure out an individual serving, divide 24 by the total number of yielded servings. (Adjusting the number of servings will reduce the point value per serving). 

Quick and Easy Nachos

This is a recipe for nachos that combines flavor and healthiness. 


Ingredients: 
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Medium Red Onion
56 Grams of Soy Crumbles
1 small Can of Tomato Sauce
1 Package of crunchy taco shells
3 oz of Mozarella cheese (shredded)


Olive Oil *
Kosher Salt *
Black Pepper * 
Garlic * 
Paprika* 
Cumin * 
Coriander * 


Preparation:
Dice onions and peppers into 1/4 inch dice and saute in a medium skillet with oil, salt and pepper until soft and onions become translucent. Add in soy crumbles seasoned with garlic, paprika, cumin and coriander as well as tomato sauce. Stir and cover to reduce. 

On a stoneware baking dish, break up 6 taco shells into tortilla chip size and stick in a 375 degree oven for a few minutes to crisp up. Once all liquid has reduced out of vegetable mix, spread over the tortilla chips. 

As an optional extra, add re-fried beans to half or all of the chip mix. 




Cover in mozzarella cheese and put in the oven and let cheese melt (approx 10 minutes). 

Serving: 
Serve in the baking dish and have everybody grab some - entire recipe serves 2. 


Nutrition Info: 
As far as weight watchers points plus goes, this scores rather well: 


Without Refried Beans (1 serving): 6 pts
With Refried Beans or 2 servings of the cheese (1 serving): 8 pts

Spinach Pasta in Parmesan Cream Sauce

This is a time consuming dish but its worth it in the end. 

Ingredients: 
1/2 Cup of fresh baby spinach
1 1/2 Cups Flour
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Water

1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Flour
1/2 Pint Heavy Cream
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Olive Oil * 
Sea Salt * 

Preparation:
Chop spinach finely, add in stand mixer with flour, eggs, and water. Mix together until dough ball forms on a dough hook.  Remove from bowl and split dough in half. 

Using a pasta roller, roll out dough until it is #3 thickness (starting at #1) and allow to dry on a pasta rack. After about 10 - 15 minutes, cut using Fettuccine roller and allow to dry for 1 - 2 hours. 

In a 1 quart saucepan (preferably non-stick) mix together butter, flour and heavy cream creating a roux. Once bubbles begin to form on the outer edge, add Parmesan cheese. Stir continuously until sauce thickens and becomes creamy. 

In a large stockpot, bring water to a boil, add in olive oil and salt (should taste like the ocean).  Boil pasta until al dente. 


Serving: 
Serve pasta with generous serving of sauce and bread (regular or garlic) 

Butternut Squash Risotto

I started making risotto as a consequence of watching Gordon Ramsey's Hell's Kitchen and have morphed it into what this recipe has become today. 


Ingredients: 
1 Medium Red Onion
1 Orange Pepper
1 butternut squash (medium)
1 can of chicken stock (can substitute with vegetable stock as well)
1/2 Cup of Arborio Rice
1 Tbsp Butter
1/4 Cup of Chardonnay (any good dry white wine can be substituted)
Kosher Salt*
Black Pepper*
Olive Oil* 


Preparation: 
Dice onion and orange pepper into small (1/4") dice. Chop the butternut squash into roughly 1/2" chunks. In a large skillet (I like the stainless for this one) heat up olive oil (spray just enough to coat the bottom) over medium heat add in onion, peppers, and half of the squash seasoned with salt and pepper. Stir until vegetables soften and onions become translucent. Move vegetables to the outsides of the pan and add butter and rice. Stir mixing in the rice with the vegetables.  Mix in wine, chicken stock, and 2 cans of water, add salt pepper and cover. 


Periodically stir until liquid begins to get absorbed by rice and vegetables, after about 30 minutes use a spoon to crush up the squash in the pan.  Add remaining chunks of squash, cover and stir.  Let simmer for 15 more minutes and stir occasionally. Remove from heat and let rest until all liquid has been absorbed. 


Serving:
This serves 2 (technically) although you could easily serve this to 3 or 4 people comfortably. This can hold up against pork, beef, chicken, and even by itself. 


Nutrition Info:
One serving of the rice scores about 6 Weight Watchers points plus points. 

Home baked pizza

This is a recipe I've had for a while and have modified it over the years. It is recommended to cook this on either a pizza stone or a stoneware pan. 


Ingredients: 
1 Package or 1 1/4 Tsp of Active Dry Yeast
1 Cup of lukewarm water (~100 degrees)
4 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 Tsp Sugar
1/2 Cup of Whole Wheat flour
1 1/2 Cup white flour plus 1/4 - 1/3 cup extra for dusting/bench flour
2 Tsp of cornmeal


Toppings: 
Margherita
Park Skim Mozzarella Cheese shredded
Joe's Pasta Sauce


Hawaiian

Park Skim Mozzarella Cheese shredded
Joe's Pasta Sauce

Dole sliced Pineapples
Sliced deli ham (Taylor Pork Roll could be an interesting alternative though)


Mushroom
Sliced Cremini Mushrooms
Gruyere Cheese shredded


Preparation:
In a stand mixer, mix together yeast and water and whisk together until bubbles form.  Add 3 Tbsp of olive oil, white, wheat flour, salt, and sugar. Mix together until a dough ball forms (use dough hook).  If dough is still sticky use reserved flour until it becomes stiff and not sticky. Place dough ball in a lightly oiled large bowl and keep covered for about an hour while the dough rises. 


Pre heat oven to 450 degrees and place pizza stone on the lowest shelf. (if using a stoneware pan do not put the pan in the oven but instead raise heat to 500 degrees).  On a flat flourered surface, spread out dough ball into pizza shape or if using stoneware pan spread out in bottom of pan.  Lift the dough up one side at a time and spread cornmeal underneath.  


Cover surface with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and spread to cover entire surface. Coat with toppings to desired height. Bake in oven between 12 and 17 minutes (turning once about halfway through) until crust becomes crispy. 


Serving: 
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Slice and serve. 

Joe's Homemade Pasta Sauce

This is my father-in-law's pasta sauce that I was taught how to make and has stuck with me ever since. 

Ingredients: 
1 Large Red Onion
6 cloves of garlic
2 cans of Tuturosso Crushed Tomatoes with basil
4 tbsp of olive oil
Kosher Salt*
Black Pepper* 
Italian Seasoning*

Preparation:
Dice onion into a 1/4" dice and crush or mince garlic.  In a medium stockpot or dutch oven, heat oil and mix in onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.  When onion becomes translucent, add in 2 cans of crushed tomato and 1 can of water.  Add more salt and pepper and raise heat to high, cover and bring to a boil. 

Once sauce has boiled, add more salt and pepper and Italian seasoning and reduce heat to simmer slightly lifting cover. Cook for 4 hours (using nonstick) or 2 hours (using dutch oven) until it reduces and thickens.  Lightly season after cooking halfway. 

Serving: 
Served best over pasta, pizza, chicken, etc. (anything Italian that you can think of this will probably go well on it). 

Sirloin Tips with Roasted Root Veg

This recipe is an adaptation of one given to me by a friend and coworker. 


Ingredients: 
Sirloin Tips
12 oz Sirloin Chuck stew meat
1 - 2 Tsp of Olive Oil
30 grams of Parmesan Cheese (grated)
30 grams of Whole Wheat seasoned Breadcrumbs
Kosher Salt*
Black Pepper*


Roasted Root Veg
2 Medium Carrots
2 Medium Parsnips
1 Yellow Squash
1 Zucchini
1 Medium Red Onion
1 Red Pepper
Olive Oil*
Kosher Salt*
Black Pepper*


Preparation:
Mix meat and olive oil in a medium bowl until well coated. Cover with cheese and breadcrumbs until well coated. 


Rough cut all vegetables into 3/4" chunks. 


Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare a baking dish by spraying lightly with olive oil and pour in vegetables. Cover lightly with salt and pepper and place in oven on middle rack. Prepare another dish for the meat by spraying lightly with olive oil and placing the meat in that dish. 


After about 10 minutes, mix vegetables up (steam will rise) move to top rack and place the dish with the meat on the middle rack.  Cook for between 7 and 10 more minutes before removing vegetables. 


Check meat done-ness, and remove and let rest when at desired cooking temperature. 


Serving:
Serve vegetables and meat. This can be complimented with the simple and tasty bbq sauce (http://raygasnick.blogspot.com/2012/05/simple-and-tasty-barbecue-sauce.html) . 


Nutrition Info: 
This entire dish scores fairly low on the Weight Watchers Points Plus scale at about a 5 or 6. This is a quick fix dinner. 

Summer or Fall Salad

This is a fresh and crisp salad that can adapt with the changing seasons depending on the available fruits in your area.  This is also probably one of the healthiest things that will be posted. 


Ingredients: 
1 1/2 Cups of Spring Mix Salad Greens
4 or 5 large strawberries (spring/summer)
1/2 Honeycrisp Apple (fall/winter)
34 Grams of Feta Cheese (fat free if you are going for the healthier version) [Typically 1 serving]
40 Grams of Ocean Spray Crasins
28 Grams of Walnuts
31 Grams of Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing


Preparation:
Slice strawberries by first removing their tops (the leafy end) and laying flat on that surface. Cut vertical slices all the way through approx 1/8" - 1/4" in width. [spring/summer]

First pass apple through apple corer and slice each of the slices in half widthwise and lengthwise producing thin "quarters" of each slice [fall/winter]


Line a bowl with the spring mix and fan out strawberries or apples on top.  Coat with Feta Cheese, Craisins, and walnuts. (This should not look like a pile but should be evenly distributed). 

Serving:
This produces 1 serving, pour dressing over top.  This can be packaged up and taken for lunches at work or placed in a large bowl and eaten as a hearty meal on the weekends. 


Nutrition Information:
As I said before, this is probably one of the healthiest dishes I'm posting a recipe for. Here's how this breaks down in Weight Watchers Points Plus points: 
Salad as served (either fruit): 11
Individual Components: 
Regular Feta: 2 pts
Fat Free Feta: 1 pt
Crasins: 3 pts
Walnuts: 5 pts
Dressing: 1 pt

Pine Nut and Garlic Couscous

This dish is a great side to a hearty meat such as pork or beef. 

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup of Pine Nuts
1 Tsp Olive Oil
3 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 Cup of pearl couscous
1 Can of chicken broth
1/4 cup of grated or crumbled Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
In a stainless 2qt saucepan, bring 1 can of chicken broth to a boil.  Mince up garlic and place in small skillet with oil and pine nuts over low heat. When garlic begins to brown, remove from heat and set aside. 

Add couscous to boiling broth and allow it to come back up to a boil. Once it has begun to boil again, reduce heat to low and add in garlic pine nut mix and Parmesan cheese. Let simmer for 8 - 12 minutes. If there is any remaining broth, strain through a strainer. 

Serving: 

Serve along side beef or pork. In order to scale up, add 1/2 cup of couscous per serving and for 4 add 1 additional can of water to the broth mix. 

Ditalini & Peas

This soup is another quick and easy comfort food. 


Ingredients: 
1 Red Onion
1 Small Can of sweet peas
1 Can of Chicken Broth (vegetable broth if you are allergic to chicken)
56 Grams of Ditalini
Spray Olive Oil*
Kosher Salt*
Cracked Black Pepper*
Parmesan Cheese*


Preparation:
This can be cooked in either a dutch oven or a stainless steel saucepan depending on cooking time. The dutch oven will also cook down the broth quicker than the stainless so if you would prefer a more brothy soup, use the stainless. 


Heat pot over medium high heat with spray of olive oil.  Dice onion into 1/4" dice and add to pot, season with salt and pepper. When onion turns translucent, add in broth and increase heat to high. When it comes to a boil add in the ditalini and peas and stir frequently. 

After about 25 - 30 minutes, the pasta will be finished cooking and should expand in size. 


Serving:
Serve in soup bowl with parmesan cheese topping. 

Nutrition Info:
This scores 7 Weight Watchers Points Plus points. 

Pasta Fagioli

This is a simple soup to make when you need an easy yet home made/comfort food. 


Ingredients: 
1 Red Onion
122 grams of Cannelloni Beans
1 Can (12oz) Chicken Broth (substitute Vegetable broth if you are allergic to chicken)
56 grams of Ditalini
1 tbsp Safflower Oil
Kosher Salt*
Black Pepper*
Italian Seasoning*


Preparation:
This can be cooked either in an enamel pot (dutch oven) or in a stainless steel saucepan. The dutch oven will keep the soup hotter and reduce faster. 


In one of the above cooking vessels, heat up oil under medium high heat.  Dice onion into 1/4" pieces and mix into pot.  Season with salt and pepper and stir frequently until onions become translucent. Pour in 1 can of broth and 1 can of water, cover, and increase heat to high.  When liquid boils, add beans and ditalini and stir periodically to ensure that neither beans nor pasta sticks. 


Keep covered and heat on high for 25 - 35 minutes stirring occasionally until soup reduces down and becomes thicker. (approximately 45 minutes total cooking time). 


Remove from heat and let pasta absorb broth. 


Serving:
This serves 1 as prepared above and is best served with Parmesan cheese or crackers (or both). 


Nutrition Info: 
This dish is a fairly healthy one, the beans add fiber and make it filling without adding less than healthy other ingredients. This scores an 11 on the Weight Watchers Points Plus. 

Bacon and White Cheddar Mac & Cheese

This is a very rich dish and substitutes butter for rendered bacon fat in the roux, the white cheddar helps to smooth out the


Ingredients: 
3 strips of lean pork bacon
1 Tbsp Flour
1/2 Cup of Milk
12 oz of sharp white cheddar cheese
164 Grams of Penne
Kosher Salt*
Panko Breadcrumbs*
Italian Style Breadcrumbs*


Preparation:
Chop bacon into 3/8" or smaller bits (including fat) and put into a 2 qt nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Allow fat to render out and bacon to crisp.  Once fat has rendered (approx 2 - 3 tsp) mix in flour and stir together to form the basis of a roux. Once incorporated, lower heat to low and mix in milk and stir together until well mixed.  Increase heat to medium and stir in cheese until a cheese sauce forms (all cheese will be melted in).


In a stainless 2qt saucepan, heat water on high heat until it begins to boil. Add in salt (should taste like the sea) followed by penne. Cook penne just until it has completely cooked and still has enough bite. Drain pasta and add the drained pasta to the sauce and mix together. Cover pot and keep heat at medium until cooked through.


Serving:
This dish makes 3 servings, suggested serving is topped with panko or Italian style breadcrumbs (and or garlic salt).

Foccacia Bread

This Italian flat bread can take on properties of a pizza or can spin off with a variety of different toppings. Listed below will be the most common toppings. 


Ingredients: 
1 1/4 Tsp Active Dry Yeast (1 package contents)
3/4 Cup of warm water (should be between 100 - 105 degrees F)
2 Cups of White Flour
1/2 - 3/4 Cup of Whole Wheat Flour
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 Tsp of Sugar


Spicy and Savory Toppings:
1 Medium Red Onion
1 Medium Plum Tomato
1/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese (Fresh grated 24 month aged cheese preferred)
1 Clove garlic


Smoky and Savory Toppings:
2 1/2 Cups of Cremini Mushrooms
1/2 Cup Gruyere Cheese
3 - 4 Strips of Bacon


Preparation:
In a stand mixer, mix together yeast and water until bubbles form (indicating the yeast is active).  Once well blended, add in flour, 1 Tbsp of oil, salt and sugar. Mix together with a dough hook until a solid ball forms. (if its too sticky add additional white flour). Once The dough ball has formed and is not sticky, let the ball rise in a large covered bowl in a warm dry place for about 2 hours. 


Slice onions thinly, rough chop tomatoes and mince up garlic for toppings. 


Preheat oven to 450 - 500 degrees. 


Flatten out dough ball into a shallow baking dish and with fingers poke shallow holes in the top. Cover with the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil and coat with toppings. 


Bake for between 12 and 17 minutes (bottom needs to be crisp, toppings need to be cooked through).  


Serving:
Cut into strips approx 1 1/2 - 2 inches in width and 3 - 4 inches in length. Best served with oil and Italian seasonings as a dip.